This week, I met with Health Minister Maria Caulfield to discuss increasing the number of available GP appointments, as I know some people in Southport are struggling to see their doctor.

Southport’s GPs do fantastic work providing front-line healthcare to our local community, and I pay tribute to the many that have gone above and beyond in their service to the public, particularly over the past few years.

Unfortunately, many have to spend their precious and valuable time referring patients who could otherwise refer themselves. Patient self-referral models already exist in other areas of healthcare, but for hearing loss, the process remains stuck in the past, resulting in fewer GP appointments for those who genuinely need it.

Alongside Specsavers, I raised this suggestion with the relevant Health Minister, who was very sympathetic to the initiative, and promised to look closely at it.

I will continue working hard to address this issue and progress this initiative, so that everybody who needs care in Southport is able to get that care.

Which probably translates as:
"Now we've cut funding for (non-profit) NHS services to do with opthalmology and hearing we need to make it easy for 'customers' to get access to (profit-driven) services from private providers such as Specsavers".

Another nail in the coffin of the NHS.

Heard an appalling story about an elderly guy who got his cataracts done via a private provider - opthalmic surgeon did the two eyes on the same day (which is not meant to happen) and admitted that he had not done a good job on one of the eyes leaving the guy practically blind in one eye.

Unless we all start sounding off to MPs about this then by 2030 there won't be an NHS as we know it. US providers (assisted by MPs) are waiting in the wings to fly in and scoop up the lucrative business.

Another talk alot, do nothing, publicity handout from our waste of space MP.

Has he EVER actually acheived anything for Southport, not just made false claims?